Stranger things have happened, but Netflix’s latest move to bring the fifth and final season of Stranger Things to the big screen is pretty surprising. In a first for the series, and marking a rare departure from the streamer’s tradition of avoiding theatrical engagements, the two-hour Season 5 finale, titled ‘The Rightside Up’, will bow in more than 350 cinemas in the U.S. and Canada.
The screenings are set to kick off on 31 December at 5pm PT — coinciding with the finale’s global premiere on Netflix — and run through 1 January 2026. It also marks the first time a Netflix episode is debuting on streaming and in cinemas simultaneously, with the official list of participating theatres to be announced at a later date.
“We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theatres — it’s something we’ve dreamed about for years, and we’re so grateful to Ted, Bela and everyone at Netflix for making it happen,” said series creators The Duffer Brothers in a statement. “Getting to see it on the big screen, with incredible sound, picture and a room full of fans, feels like the perfect — dare we say b***hin’ — way to celebrate the end of this adventure.”
Earlier reports, however, had painted a different picture. Speaking to Variety on the possibility of adapting the show into a theatrical format, the streamer’s chief creative officer, Bela Bajaria, shot it down, saying:
A lot of people — a lot, a lot, a lot of people — have watched Stranger Things on Netflix. It has not suffered from a lack of conversation or community or sharing or fandom. I think releasing it on Netflix is giving the fans what they want.”
“People don’t get to experience how much time and effort is spent on sound and picture, and they’re seeing it at reduced quality. More than that, [a theatrical release is] about experiencing it at the same time with fans,” added Matt Duffer, one-half of the directing duo.
While rare, theatrical screenings for hit TV shows aren’t unheard of. Netflix previously brought Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 to the big screen in various cities across North America on 6 November 2022, otherwise known as Stranger Things Day, months after its premiere, and HBO also did the same for at least two episodes of Game of Thrones. More recently, the two-day theatrical run of KPop Demon Hunters (which isn’t a show, but was released as a streaming offering) proved to be a huge success for Netflix, likely serving as the driving factor behind the change in strategy.
Season 5 of Stranger Things is slated to be released in three parts: Volume 1 on 26 November, spanning the first four episodes that range from 54 minutes to an hour and 23 minutes, Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes), and the grand finale on New Year’s Eve. The main cast, consisting of Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Sadie Sink Max Mayfield, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna, will all be reprising their roles.
The official synopsis is as follows:
“Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
